“It Doesn’t Hurt, Doc!”

Always Smile At The Dentist With This Expert Advice… Even though I’ve heard it all before, I must say that I thoroughly enjoy dentist jokes and funny stereotypes about dentists. If you can’t laugh at yourself, what can you laugh at? But one thing that still makes me scratch my chin is when patients tell me, “It doesn’t hurt, Doc” with a sparkle in their eye, implying... Read More

The Mommy Makeover

Cosmetic Surgery Trends and Options The physical demands of pregnancy can take a toll on a mother’s body. Winter Park based, board certified plastic surgeon James Baker, MD, FACS, explains that “the abdominal muscles separate and the skin stretches to allow the uterus to grow. The mom is often left with loose or sagging skin that is frequently attributed to the relaxation of... Read More

Keep Pets Healthy, Cool During Hot Weather

Summer is for relaxing – for pets too. Many pet parents indulge their animal companions with vacations, special meals, hotel stays and trips to the spa. In fact, an estimated $53 billion were spent on pets last year. Yet many families with pets may not realize the longer, hotter days of summer require pampering around their health and safety. “During hot summer months, it’s... Read More

The Johns Hopkins Children’s Heart Surgery Program at Florida Hospital for Children Opens

The Johns Hopkins Children’s Heart Surgery Program at Florida Hospital for Children recently launched to provide comprehensive cardiac surgery care. The program draws on the expertise of Johns Hopkins, a pioneer in the field of heart surgery, and will give Florida children access to a top-notch surgical team and the newest treatment approaches. Dr. Constantine Mavroudis, a world-renowned... Read More

Wellness Warnings: Statistics Parents Need to Know

Drug Bust! More than 3.1 million teens ages 12 to 17 report abusing prescription drugs. 70% of children who abuse prescription drugs get them from family or friends. Prescription drugs are the #1 drug choice among 12-13 year olds. Florida has the highest rate of prescription painkiller sales in the country. InformedFamilies.org VIIIth city for HIV Orlando ranked 8th on the Centers... Read More

Crohn’s Disease & Family Planning

In the middle of a chilly night in January 2009, then 26-year-old Beth Smith awoke with a severe, surging sensation in her lower abdomen. She assumed that her appendix had burst, but upon arrival at the hospital, a scan revealed that Beth had Crohn’s disease, a chronic condition involving the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. The Crohns & Colitis Foundation of America (CCFA) describes... Read More

Expecting Moms, Unexpected Skin Conditions

Tips for Minimizing and Treating “Pregnancy Mask” For every mother-to-be, pregnancy brings an abundance of expectations. With a sense of excitement, a woman anticipates her growing belly, feeling that first kick, and hearing her newborn cry in the delivery room. But she doesn’t expect hormone-related skin conditions that can change her appearance and create a sense of self-consciousness. Unfortunately,... Read More

Surge in Surrogacy

Motherhood is one of life’s greatest gifts. Yet, pregnancy can be a challenging journey filled with morning sickness, swollen feet, and stretch marks. Wouldn’t it be amazing if babies really were delivered by a stork or perhaps another carrier? Celebrities including Sarah Jessica Parker, Nicole Kidman, Elton John, and Giuliana Rancic have all expanded their families with the... Read More

Is Co-Sleeping a Healthy Habit?

Making sure your newborn has the safest sleeping environment is essential to helping him/her grow up strong and healthy. Sleep habits are a prevalent topic of conversation among new moms and dads, as optimizing the quantity and quality of sleep is vital to an infant’s wellbeing (and mom and dad’s, for that matter). Unlike their exhausted new parents, babies sleep or drowse between... Read More

Nemours Children’s Hospital Makes Care A Family Affair

The grand opening of Nemours Children’s Hospital on October 22nd will unveil a transformed hospital experience made possible through a “for families, by families” philosophy. By partnering with patients’ families, Nemours aims to ensure that physicians and medical teams care for the whole child, not just a child’s illness, plus the entire family unit. The backbone of this... Read More

Calling All Pink Recruits: The Pink Army Wants YOU!

Pink dog tags are truly making a fashion statement. No, this trendy tag isn’t for your pet; it’s for you and your loved ones. The Florida Hospital Pink Army is recruiting, and you are needed to fight the battle! The Pink Army is not about military recruitment either, nor is it a club with an affinity toward the color pink; it’s about saving lives from breast cancer. One out... Read More

Getting the Family You Want

If you could wave a magic wand and have the family you want, what would it be like?  Would you eat more dinners together, go to church together on Sundays, or spend Saturdays volunteering at a local soup kitchen? We often get so busy in our day-to-day routines that we forget what is really important. We go from one activity to another and never stop to spend quality time with the... Read More

Caregivers Need Care, Too

Married for more than 50 years, Sandra Fuchs’ parents were used to relying on each other. When her mother developed multiple health problems in her later years, Fuchs, a mother of three, said that “Dad became Mom’s main caregiver.” But after her father developed brain cancer, Fuchs suddenly found herself assumingcare for both parents. “It’s quite a juggling act when... Read More

Getting Comfortable with “The Talk”

It’s never too early to begin talking with your kids about sex. In fact, the earlier you start, the easier it will be when it’s time to tackle the difficult subjectsthat are sure to arise later on. Here are some age-appropriate guidelines (and we know not everyone will agree!) that parents can use with their curious little ones to help pave the way for the more in-depth conversations... Read More

Calming the Back-to-School Jitters

Starting a new school year can be like starting a new job, or moving from one city to another. New people, new expectations, different surroundings… It’s true, you may know some of your fellow students, but you might end up with the annoying one sitting at the desk next to you. So, it’s understandable that kids are uneasy about starting a new school year. But sometimes the... Read More

Genetic Testing and Pregnancy: Is it necessary?

Today, there is no reason to approach pregnancy in the dark when it comes to genetics. A genetic counselor can help expecting parents and those considering a family to understand their genetic makeup and allay concerns related to passing traits on to their children. Typically, when a couple first learns that they are expecting a child, it’s an emotional moment filled with anticipation,... Read More

Difficult or Delightful: Six reasons to appreciate your mother-in-law

Immediately upon walking out of the church on my wedding day, my mother-in-law burst into tears. While she claimed they were “tears of joy,” I know it was very hard for her to hand over her son to another woman. Mothers-in-law often get a bad rap. Mother-in-law jokes abound and somewhere right now there’s a group of women chatting over coffee with at least one of them complaining... Read More

Pregnancy and Fifth Disease

Mommies-to-be: learn about an infection that could hurt your unborn baby As any Kindergarten teacher can attest, a day at work involves being exposed to perfect little petri dishes (students) who are blissfully unaware that they are sharing a multitude of germs and bacteria: Little hands reach out regularly to be held, frequently after rubbing their mouths and noses. Faces often... Read More

Compounding Medications – Caters to Individual Needs

In the early years of medicine, prescriptions were individualized potions usually prepared for each patient by the town’s apothecary. Today, doctor-prescribed medications are primarily purchased in the one-size-fits-all category from the local chain pharmacy. Taking a cue from a growing demand for personalized customer service, savvy independent pharmacies are going back to “compounding,”... Read More

Alternative Medicine

The phrase “alternative medicine” might make you think of pungent herbal teas, poultices, chanting, or meditation. In fact, both herbal remedies and meditation, as well as dozens of other treatments, fall under the heading of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). Although there is no strict definition of alternative medicine, it generally includes any healing... Read More

Dental Health Month – What Parents Want To Know…

The good news is that parents today are increasingly interested in promoting good dental health for their children. The bad news is there are so many things to worry about, from what’s the best toothpaste to when to expect the first baby tooth, that it can be overwhelming. Let’s take a look at a couple of hot topics that parents frequently ask about when it comes to their child’s... Read More